I'm basically living in a cave, musically speaking, so I'm really psyched at my latest CD purchase. I picked up the Phil & Friends show from Asheville, NC June 27, 2006 - the last show on the tour with Scofield. OK, this was the first time I'd heard that Phil was jamming with Scofield. 2 words - AWE SOME!

The Dark Star jam on this album is insane, but what really blew me away was Joan Osborne singing "He's Gone." Again, this was the first time I'd heard Joan singing with Phil. She really did the song justice!

joan can be annoying sometimes but when she is on she is on. I dont think i have heard her do He's Gone (or heard Scofield with Phil, that I really need to check out), but over the summer Phil and Friends closed the first set with Sugaree, sung by Joan, and she fucking nailed it! great set closer

Sometimes I wish Joan had the ability to bend time like Hiro Nakamura and replace Donna on stage. Maybe then I'd have less bleeding from my ears during the "Playin' reprises" and "Sunshine Daydreams." I guess everything happens for a reason.

I caught a few shows with her and the Dead and she ruined them for me. Yes ruined them. She sucked. The shows were canned and she still fucked them up. Sang songs with poorly matched emotions, came in at the wrong parts, tried to be sexy instead of a singer, and worst of all the shows were too similar.

But that was a few years ago.

Since that time I've heard her with Phil and my opinion has softened. It now appears to me that she came on board with the Dead just premature.